Church Story

The Fight Beneath The Fight

A practical message from James 4 on overcoming conflict, pride, and division by choosing humility and God’s way of peace.
VERSES // James 4:1-12

The Potential Of Your Words

Words have power—to build or to destroy. James 3 warns that the tongue, though small, can set the direction for your whole life. Discover how to take control of your words before they take control of you.
SCRIPTURE // James 3v1-18, Matthew 12v34, Matthew 15v19
 
YOUR WORDS ARE POWERFUL.
With great power comes great responsibility
YOUR WORDS ARE PROBLEMATIC.
One small word at the wrong time can be incredibly dangerous
Words bring wounds
Though small, your words hold the power of life and death.
Wild animals can be tamed by humans, yet your tongue cannot.
Try this test for the next seven days:
Do not complain.
Do not boast.
Do not gossip.
Do not criticize.
Do not defend or excuse yourself.
Always affirm.
YOUR WORDS ARE PRODUCED BY YOUR HEART.
Our tongue problem is a heart problem.
If you want to change your words, change your heart.
Practical Next Steps:
BE SLOW TO SPEAK
Before speaking, ask yourself:
Is it true?
Is it helpful?
Is it inspiring?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
BE QUICK TO SAY, “I’M SORRY”
SHARE LIFE-GIVING WORDS
Challenge: Choose one person in your life and speak encouragement every day for the next seven days. Use a text message, a phone call, email, or hand-written note.
RECEIVE PEACE

Good Enough For Heaven

*DUE TO COPYRIGHT, THE SONG PLAYED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MESSAGE IS NOT INCLUDED. FOR REFERENCE, LISTEN TO THE FIRST 30 SECONDS OF "Love And Marriage" by Frank Sinatra.
Many people wonder if they’re “good enough” to get into heaven. Have you ever wondered deep down, “Am I really right with God? How can I know for sure?” In part five of Grit & Grace, Wes Jackson shares clear and hopeful answers from the Book of James.
VERSES // James 2v14-26; 1 John 3v17-18; Romans 3v28

Nickels, Dimes, and True Value

Why do we honor those with power, status, and wealth while simultaneously overlooking those God Himself calls valuable? In part four of Grit & Grace, we’re reminded that favoritism has no place in the family of God because our worth isn’t determined by appearance or status, but by the Creator. We are challenged to see people the way God sees them and to live out a faith marked by mercy over judgment.
VERSES // James 2v1-13
Teaching Notes:
Faith without favoritism is faith that loves like Jesus.
When we’re not taking our identity from God, we create arbitrary identities.
Whose approval matters?
Our value comes from God, who made us in His image.
Do we see people the way Jesus does?
Response:  
Consider these questions:
Who are you tempted to overlook?
Where might you be showing favoritism without realizing it?
How can you intentionally show mercy this week to someone with nothing to offer you?

When Talk Starts To Walk

Faith isn’t proven by what you hear—it’s shown by what you do. In part three of Grit & Grace, you’ll discover what it looks like to move from only listening to experiencing a transformation from the inside out as you allow God’s Word to influence your actions.
VERSES // James 1v18-27; Jeremiah 31v31-33; Ezekiel 36v24-27; Matthew 7v21; 1 John 2v4
NOTES:
Three Christian responses to God’s Word:
LISTEN HUMBLY
Hurry up and listen → Keep listening → Let your defenses down
The goal is not to get around God’s Word; the goal is to receive it.
LOOK CONTINUALLY
What value do I place on God’s Word?
Allow God’s Word to saturate your life.
Listening to God’s Word - Applying God’s Word = Worthless Religion
Hearing followed by not doing leads to a deceived heart and a worthless faith.
LIVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY
I don’t obey to earn my way to heaven; I obey because Heaven is in my heart.
Read your Bible, do what it says.
Prayer: God what area of my life have you been telling me to obey, to do this and I’ve not done it?
Application Step: Write out specific action steps for how you’re going to obey starting today.

Stand Up To Temptation

Trials will test you, but temptation can trap you. In part two of Grit & Grace, you’ll be discover the source of temptation and how to resist the broken desires that often leave us feeling stuck, defeated, and overwhelmed with regret. When temptation shows up, your faith will help you stand.
VERSES: James 1v12-18, Romans 8v1, Colossians 2v6, 1 John 1v9, Galatians 2v20
TEACHING NOTES:
Blessed - A thriving life from the inside out.
Agency - The ability to control and influence your own thoughts and behavior in a situation.
Your trials don’t have to lead your response.
When there’s temptation, there’s always a way out.
YOUR TEMPTATION NEVER COMES FROM GOD (vs. 13)
TEMPTATION IS ROOTED IN OUR OWN DESIRES (vs. 14-15)
The progression of sin:
My Desire → Birth of Sin → Grows into Death
When desire gives birth to sin, we’ve opened the door and welcome death to come in and take up residence.
The longer sin grows, the harder it is to kill.
“Habits, like trees, are strengthened by age. A boy may bend an oak when it is a sapling, but a hundred men cannot root it up when it is a full-grown tree.” J.C. Ryle
Until you own the responsibility for your temptation, you’ll never live in freedom from it.
You don’t find freedom from confessing the sins of other people.
God’s Response:
His Will → New Life → New Hope
TEMPTATION IS OVERCOME BY THE GOODNESS OF GOD (vs. 17-18)
You will only trust God’s path out of temptation to the degree that you know He loves you.
You must let the gospel that saves you also sustain you.

Faith Under Pressure

The Book of James serves as a wake-up call, challenging us to live with real faith, even in the face of disappointment and chaos. If your faith feels lost or defeated as you see what’s happening in the world, part one of Grit & Grace will help restore a resilient faith for your most difficult days.
VERSES // James 1v1-12; Mark 3v20-21; John 7v2-5; 1 Corinthians 15v3-8
TEACHING NOTES:
The gap between what you believe and what you do is who you become.
Your identity shapes your activity.
Trials produce five things in us when we trust God:
TRIALS BUILD ENDURANCE. (vs. 2)
God will allow trials, not to wreck you, but to build something stronger in you.
TRIALS BUILD MATURITY. (vs. 4)
God’s goal in your life is more of Him.
Trials are joy when God is the goal.
Trials are a crossroad where you can choose to go further toward God or backwards into unbelief.
The work God is doing in you is greater than the God working out a solution to your problem now.
Tests reveal gaps in your understanding that lead to opportunities that deepen your knowledge.
God will often take you beyond yourself to expose deficiency.
TRIALS BRING WISDOM (vs. 5-8)
Three factors for wisdom – Knowledge, Perspective, & Experience
God has all knowledge, total perspective, and infinite experience.
When life is overwhelming, you can get bitter or you can come with humility.
Humility is the way to clarity.
TRIALS BRING SATISFACTION & SECURITY (vs. 9-11)
Don’t attach your soul to something that fades.
In pain, things that were so important, quickly become less important.
TRIALS BRING LIFE (vs. 12)
God has promised life forever which shapes a new perspective.
In your trials, anchor your confidence in something greater.
Like James, take on the identity of Jesus and experience his transformation from the inside out.

Why More Is Never Enough

When life feels heavy, what do you reach for first? We keep chasing more and more stuff, more comfort, more escape, yet it never seems to satisfy. In this message, we’ll explore why more is never enough and how prioritizing God’s values can transform everything.
VERSES // Haggai 1v2-9, 1 John 2v15-17, John 3v16, Matthew 6v24, Philippians 3v18-20

Addressing Apathy

Apathy is dangerous—it slowly breaks down the life God designed for you. In part six of The Good Life, discover how to move beyond the spiritual numbness you may be experiencing and reignite a passion in your faith.
VERSES // 1 Timothy 4v7-8, Ephesians 4v1-16, Psalm 1v1-4

Bye, Bye Entitlement

Entitlement promises happiness but leaves you empty. Learn how to replace “I deserve” with something better.
VERSES // Luke 14v7-14, Philippians 2v3-11